


Work of God

by MayAnny



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga), Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Drama, Gen, I'm not good at writing Light, Japan doesn't like Ryuk, Japan hates foreigners, Light gets knocked off his pedestal, Religious Conflict
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-12-29 17:56:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12090324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayAnny/pseuds/MayAnny
Summary: If Shinigami existed, Light briefly wondered if other supernatural beings existed as well.He never dwelled on such topics long enough.





	Work of God

**Author's Note:**

> Writing Light is difficult as hell... He might be just a bit OOC - or really OOC, I can't tell. D:

**I.**

Light has never been superstitious.

He's never believed in folk tales or curses or yokai demons lurking in the night. He's never let such illogical ideas interfere with his life or define his actions.

The average Japanese would at least go through the motions of praying at a shrine or leaving a note wishing for good fortune at the end of the year. The types of actions that helped them move from day to day, week to week, month to month. Some would even avoid disrespecting statues, afraid of lighting coming down from the heavens like divine judgment and striking them down on the spot.

Light never  _really_  believed any of that. One could call him a common agnostic. As far as he was concerned, the world was like it was because, either, there were no gods or if there were, they didn't care about the tiny humans down on Earth, at the very least.

What divinity leaves its creations to suffer in its own filth and blood? Certainly none Light could seek faith in.

Now, however, he  _most_  certainly didn't need that, and on his way back home after prep school, he had a creature he would never have believed existed following him. Funny, how life turns around for you…

Although, if Shinigami existed, he'd briefly wondered if other supernatural things existed as well. He never dwelled in such topics long enough, though. It didn't quite matter, since none of that got in his way.

.

.

.

"Oh, boy…"

Light heard from behind. He frowned and turned slightly, discretely.

"We're being followed…" The Shinigami didn't sound quite amused, as he usually does, which was a bit disconcerting.

He also said 'we'.

Not long ago, an FBI agent had been tailing him. Ryuk told him, rather amused, that he, Light, was being followed.

Not 'we'.

Light turned further, stopping. Ryuk was looking behind them, now sounding mildly annoyed. "…Didn't think we would be running into this so soon." The residential area they were passing by was deserted. Not even the houses behind their walls showed signs of life through their windows.

Damn Shinigami… Being so cryptic again. Then the streetlights flickered for half a second and turned off completely. Light turned back and moved closer to the wall, feeling the need to find something solid to lean on in the darkness. "…What is it…?"

Ryuk didn't respond, merely turning slowly from side to side, as if trying to spot any slight movements in the dark. Maybe he could see just fine, so Light remained close.

The only source of illumination was the full moon, and shapes became clear slowly as Light impatiently waited for his sight to adjust.

"Oh…?" Ryuk let out a laugh. "The  _Land Lord_  is here, and so soon too. Maybe this  _is_  your end. How boring."

"Huh? What do you mean?!" Light hissed at the Shinigami. Now he was becoming nervous. Why couldn't the damn thing just tell him?! He normally prized himself in keeping it together even in the face of a seemingly inescapable situation. But now his heart was accelerating. This isn't a situation he knew how to deal with.

His  _end…?_  What did that even mean…?!

Something cast a quick shadow from above and Light looked up, seeing something falling towards them fast, startling him into backing away and making him trip. It fell straight into Ryuk's face instead, who was a little too slow.

Instead of going through the Shinigami, its weight brought him down – and the Shinigami soundly  _felt_  it as well – and it had the obvious shape of a person. Light saw the reflection of the moon shining on a metallic object and its sharp end going towards the Shinigami's head.

Whatever happened, the humanoid couldn't hit Ryuk and was thrown back, by a punch or a kick. It fell head first, extending its arm towards the ground and pushing itself back up unharmed. Ryuuk stod again, stretching his shoulder.

"How _nice_  to see you too." The Shinigami growled.

Light stood up to look. It was definitely a person, he could see more clearly now. A man, wearing a white and red kimono, with a  _sword,_  his eyes were brown, but seemed to almost glow in the dark as well.

The man narrowed his eyes, sword poised readily in front of him. "May I inquire…" His voice was soft and calm, it crashed with his harsh expression. "what is a  _filthy_  creature like you doing here?"

Ryuk chuckled sinisterly, raising his arms in amity, as if mocking the man. "Just hanging around. Nothing to get concerned about."

"Really…" The man secured his weapon in its sheath but kept his hand around it. He walked slowly, like a shark circling a prey, eyes wandering over to Light and then narrowing before turning back to the Shinigami. "You've dropped that accursed notebook here… haven't you, monster?" The last words were directed at Ryuk like a snake's hiss.

The Shinigami's grin seemed larger. "What the humans do when in possession of it is  _their_  decision. I'm just a spectator." He laughed. "What now? Will you kill this  _precious young human_  because of it?" The sarcasm was palpable. "I thought you  _loved_  them." The laughter now was louder, sardonic.

The man scowled at the Shinigami, grip on the hilt of his sword tightening visibly. He turned to Light, who unconsciously backed off.

What can he do, what can he do, what can he do…?! This man had a sword, he seemed to know how to use it, there were no witnesses, no lights, and Ryuk certainly wasn't going to protect him.

How could he even see Ryuk?!

He could run… but how far would he go…? Were there any chances of escaping? Any moves? Could he talk his way out? All options, none which his body could try, frozen as it was under this man's gaze.

The man looked back and forth between the two, narrowing further at the Shinigami. "Tch…" He took a step back.

Ryuk chortled.

Before Light could even think of relaxing, the sword was drawn, his eyes widened but it stopped just short of his face. He flattened himself on the wall behind, couldn't back away anymore. "Listen carefully, Yagami Light-kun." The man spoke – how did he know his name…? – sword slowly moving until it stopped just beneath his chin, uncomfortably close to his neck. "You will come to my house to discuss this, and I'll decide what to do with you, since you're breaking my laws. If you don't come, I'll come to  _you,_  which won't end well." Those eyes… seemed so empty, and yet burning with something indiscernible that he couldn't explain. "Now,  _go home."_  His heart skipped a beat, the last words ringing in his head like bells.

The sword was pulled back, the man turning and walking away, back to where they came. "Out of my way, Shinigami." The man spat one last time. Ryuk said nothing, barely moving as the man passed.

The streetlights over the two were on again, then the next, and the next, slowly and one at a time as the man walked past them. By the time the street was completely illuminated once again, the man was gone.

"Lucky, eh? He didn't kill you."

Light sagged against the wall, eyes cast downwards, suddenly noticing he was trembling, heart taking too long to slow down while he took deep breaths. "…" He wanted to ask something, but moved instead, almost automatically, going back to his original path with his head down and clutching his bag close. He… had to go home now…

But he didn't want to. Why was he moving?

"…Hey, Light." Ryuk called. He kept walking. "Don't you want to ask anything? I'll answer honestly."

"…Not now…"

"I'll give you his name."

"…I'll ask… when I'm home…"

Ryuk stared for a few seconds before following. "Really… Humans have their free will bent so easily… Sucks to be them, huh?"

Light was sure… he wasn't in control of his body. It was maddening.

* * *

**II.**

Light wouldn't regain full control and lucidity until he was standing in front of his house.

He wasn't about to start freaking out in the middle of the road, so he schooled his posture and expression, and kept it under control until he was back in his room, having forced himself to act normally in front of his mother and sister, having to explain why he was late,  _despite_  his fried nerves.

Once back into his room again, he sat by his desk with his head down, trying not to pull his own hair off.

The Death Note remained open in front of him. Ryuk enjoyed a basketful of apples. His mother was under the impression that he took a sudden liking to the fruit and brought some over often…

Light finally felt like his body was slowing down, as if finally realizing he was safe. He sat straight and turned to Ryuk laying on his bed. "You're not actually telling me his name, are you?"

"You remember that?"

Light raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't I supposed to?"

"I dunno." The Shinigami shrugged. "It's not like it matters anyway. You can't kill him with a Death Note."

"Why not?" Light leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms.

"The Death Note is made to kill humans. That guy isn't human."

…Light suspected as such in the back of his mind. That man – whatever he was – could see Ryuk and knew what he was right away. "Why did he attack you in the first place?" He had made his  _distaste_  for the death god very clear, but some context would be appreciated.

Ryuk scoffed, picking up another apple. "They don't like to see Shinigami walking around in the human realm, especially in their little piece of land. Territorial and possessive creatures that they are."

Light glanced at the open Death Note. This was bad… There was someone who he couldn't kill walking around knowing about the Note. Probably knew he was Kira as well. He knew his name even.

Luckily, he seems willing to give him a chance. Strange as it was, Light wasn't about to throw that away. He could figure something out. "What is he?" He turned back to Ryuk.

"Aah… To put it like this: Shinigami are to death, what creatures like him are to life. He's a  _Jinushigami._  But I just prefer to call him a glorified Land Lord."

Light's eyes widened. The Yang to their Ying, then. He nudged his chin in thought. "So… instead of taking years, they give years?" Can they extend someone's lifespan beyond the natural? This suddenly just got extremely interesting…

"Not exactly." Ryuk began. "The life  _you_  have once belonged to that Jinushigami. But humans, for some reason, are incapable of keeping it, so it leaves them and goes back to the dominant Jinushigami in the area. It's why humans grow old and die naturally as they gradually lose the life given. Unless," Ryuk's grin turned sharp. "it's cut short by a Death Note. Then the life goes to the Shinigami. It's why they call us  _thieves."_

Light listened with attention, then turned back to his Note. What now? "Did you  _expect_  him to show up at some point when you came here?" Light asked without looking at the Shinigami.

"Hah? I, uh, kinda forgot, actually."

"Forgo-!" Light cut himself off, his palm over his face in exasperation. Okay, no reason to get worked up again. Ryuk seemingly forgets important details on purpose all the time.

"This happens sometimes, I guess. The Note wasn't dropped in the Human Realm a lot, but I'm sure at least one of those few times, whoever was using the Note could have been killed by a Jinushigami they managed to piss off."

"Only one?"

"Jinushigami are very selfish beings, to be honest." He shrugged. "They mostly don't like each other, they turn on each other, and they kill each other. They can't use the Death Note themselves, but having a human to kill their enemies' humans would probably sound attractive."

"I thought you said they loved humans." Light glanced at him.

"They love  _their_  humans. The rest can burn."

Back to his thoughts then… So, a Jinushigami could feel just as attracted to the power of the Death Note as any human, and would want to use it against their enemies. If they only cared about a selective group of humans, that meant they wouldn't want to use it for the good of the whole world or all of humanity.

Selfish indeed…

Is that what this Jinushigami wanted from him? Light didn't want to serve someone's political agenda as a bargain for his life.

Or… did he truly want to discuss whether or not to kill him as a  _punishment?_  Did he think Kira was breaking his laws? Which were the laws, then…? Did he consider the criminals Kira was killing as his beloved humans too? If so… what did that say about the Jinushigami's character, protecting such garbage? How could he turn this around to favor him?

Right then, his phone beeped. Light was shaken out of his thoughts. With a sigh, he checked.

It was a text message.

_This is the address._

_Do not be late._

_Do not bring a cellphone._

_Do not come with the Shinigami._

_Do not run away._

_And do not worry, you will not be followed, and this message cannot be tracked (erase it if you wish)._

"How did he find my number…?" Light wondered with a deadpan.

"Oh, yeah," Ryuk piped in. "They can also be seen by humans at any time they like, so they're usually very active around here. He probably just used one of those computers or something."

Light simply resisted the urge to pull his hair off his head. He was truly at the  _mercy_  of this Jinushigami.

* * *

**III.**

Maybe he was just unlucky in this one aspect – or maybe he was truly lucky to have gotten this chance.

It all depended on how this meeting would unravel. It all depended on Light's own wits and ability to turn this around for him.

It seems he has a natural disadvantage, though. A Jinushigami can control a human's actions with mere words, they didn't need any sort of Note to do it. However, according to Ryuk, their weakness was the fact that they  _cared_  for humans as if they were their own children. So he could at least have that on his side.

At least that…

The house was a big, walled off, traditional Japanese house a bit far up a small mountain. The stairs led up the same way many shrines did. The area around it was strangely devoid of neighbors, as if all the land around it had been bought as well.

Most of it had been left somewhat alone, its nature well cared for.

Ryuk didn't know whether there was a realm for Jinushigami or not, but it seemed like they lived in this realm with the humans often, and they could pass off as humans, so they could work as humans and have monetary wealth like anyone else.

Like a rich human who he was incapable of killing, even if he knew his name, and who held all of his plans captive at the moment.

He had no choice.

Cautiously, Light walked up the stairs, the trees providing shade from the sun and giving him enough time to think a bit more.

Maybe this was a trap… Maybe just killing him on the street was indeed a problem and getting rid of him here was easier. Who would find a body buried in such a place? Maybe Ryuk was just wrong about Jinushigami. Maybe they loved nothing.

There were a million things for him to worry about right then, none could help him formulate any kind of action plan. None, because there was no way to kill this creature, apparently… Light had nothing to bargain with, besides this  _supposed_  love for humans, which he couldn't safely count on. He knew of no connections this Jinushigami had, either. He could pass off as a human, so for all he knew, he knew any number of cops personally.

No matter how many times he went through the facts in his head, he was still stuck, at someone's mercy, defenseless.

He really forgot how it felt to be utterly  _powerless._

The stairs led him to a garden, extremely like a shrine. The structure ahead was big enough to be a house, but he found the Jinushigami in his line of sight. He had his back to Light, busy watering some plants. Next to him was an old dead tree, leafless.

"What time is it?" The man asked suddenly.

Light didn't think he had made any noise. He looked around to see if there was anyone around, found no one, and assumed he was speaking to him, turning to his wristwatch. "3 o'clock."

Right on time.

"Right on time." The man nodded, lowering the haw to the ground. "Good. I didn't want to barge into your house just to kill you. That would have been messy."

Light couldn't help but tense slightly at this casual tone.

"Now…" The man backed away from the tree, hands rubbing together, then turned to him. "I'm sure you understand why I called you here."

Light wasn't sure. Did he want to kill him? Did he want the Death note for political or personal reasons? Maybe another motive? "I was under the impression you wanted to discuss a punishment." That was really all the information given. "With no proof." He couldn't help but add. He couldn't prove he was Kira, not without prying the Death Note from him, which was safely hidden somewhere safe where it could be destroyed.

His alternatives were using those  _orders,_  to make him confess to the police, or killing him straight away.

However, the Jinushigami sighed, shaking his head. "Please, do not play innocent. I can tell when you lie. Besides, I could see the link between you and the Shinigami, so I know you're in possession of a Death Note. I know you're the one behind all the killings recently. To be honest, I figured there was a Death Note involved as soon as they started happening with a predictable frequency. The figure of Kira getting so much attention was just the final proof I needed."

All the proof he needed. Odds are, he didn't need the police at all to deliver his own personal judgment. It's quite possible that a Jinushigami is a rogue element in society, who does as he pleases with all the arrogant whimsy Light could attribute to an uncaring deity.

Light narrowed his eyes. "Fine." Better get to the point already. "What do you want from me, then? If you haven't killed me yet, you must want something. You can't use the Note, after all."

He received a mild glare in return. It felt like staring into the eyes of a predatory wildcat, waiting for Light to make the slightest move. He couldn't help but feel like he was sweating  _'You don't have enough power to provoke this entity without consequences'_  his mind rebutted. But the Jinushigami turned towards a table under the shade of a healthier tree – where tea was waiting – sitting down and snapping his fingers, pointing at the chair in front of him.

This is… annoyingly humiliating in a way. He felt like he was being looked  _down_  upon. Being the God of the new world, this just wasn't dignified. Light tried to avoid visibly fuming on his way to sit down. This is no time to let pride reveal his thoughts. Provoking was not the way to go, no matter how much this man stabbed his pride.

The Jinushigami crossed his arms. "You better shed that pride off while we talk. Otherwise, this will be very uncomfortable for you." He leaned back in his seat, crossed his legs as well. Can he read thoughts now?

Light eyed the tea, still warm. Did he know Light was nearby and prepared it just before he arrived? There was no logical reason to poison him, especially if he could just kill him.

"First of all, my name is Honda Kiku. You can try and write it down later, if you wish." The Jinushigami – now with a name that had a twang of royalty – took a sip of his tea, nonchalant about revealing his name. If what Ryuk said was true, and if this was the Jinushigami's real name, that meant he knew he couldn't be killed, and therefore had all the power. Light took the cup of tea for a drink out of politeness. Honda continued. "Now, lucky for you, I do not much care for criminals. The moment they hurt another one of mine or broke my laws, they've lost my affection. Their deaths, and your work, do not bother me." Light couldn't help it, his eyes widened a little in surprise. "In fact, it has lifted some weight off my back, so I feel inclined to let you off with only some warnings."

Just some warnings? Light leaned back in his seat, glancing down at the tea. "Ryuk made it seem like you want to use the Note for political reasons." He had to want something. There was no way things would be that easy.

The Jinushigami scoffed, seemingly offended. "What does a  _Shinigami_  know about the world of the living?" He didn't show hostility and remained in passive. "I'm not arrogant enough to think I could even get away with such things. There are other Jinushigami in the world, and I'm not about to pick fights with them over this. It's best that I do not involve myself too much. I won't, as long as you steer clear of innocent citizens, of course."

Light narrowed his eyes but quickly relaxed. "I never intended to hurt innocents. Getting rid of criminals, that's  _all_  my justice means." He couldn't shout, but… something in this Jinushigami… He felt the need to defend his position.

Ryuk said that his very  _life_  once belonged to this Jinushigami, so on a deep _,_  instinctual,  _irrational_  level, his opinion mattered, and his chastisement hurt. Not anything Light wanted to feel. But he felt the strong need to be on his good side, even if it was a manipulated instinct.

The supernatural man frowned. His strange eyes piercing Light from behind the steam of his tea. "Hm… Justice, huh… Was what you did to Naomi Misora 'justice'?"

Oh…  _That_  woman… He understood now. That's what Honda Kiku was mad about. In his eyes, Naomi Misora was innocent. He had a feeling he couldn't just say 'she was in the way'. Honda waited for an answer, seemingly letting Light think of something that could possibly justify the 'murder of an innocent'.

This was bad…

"It's… unfortunate." He couldn't lie… He had no choice but to test the waters with half-truths. "I didn't want to kill her." He had to think fast if he was going to explain this in any way that satisfied the entity in front of him.

But before he could continue, Honda's eyes narrowed further. "But she  _got in the way?_  Did she have information that could have gotten you arrested?" Honda wondered softly. The feeling of being smaller and smaller kept growing under his stare, but Light refused to wither under it.

Ryuk warned him, with some amusement, that Jinushigami could very easily manipulate the emotions of humans as well. But didn't bother telling him if there was anything at all that could be done to resist this. What he was feeling, the growing nagging sensation in his stomach was probably not caused by anything Light himself felt.

Honda sighed, finger tapping the cup he held. "She was marrying a foreigner if I'm not mistaken. Personally, I've never liked that sort of thing, but I don't make a habit of stopping them. Still, innocents are innocents. So I'm going to leave you with  _no room_  for  _any_  other mistake, because  _she_  didn't deserve to die."

His hands tightened into fists. This was good… He was cutting close, but he would have to accept whatever results that let him  _live._

Honda lowered the cup on the table. So did Light. "You got yourself cornered because of your own actions. I will not accept innocents paying for your stupidity."

Like a dam holding the tide that was his pride, the word was like a bomb setting off and destroying it. "Stupidity?!" He stood.

Honda's glare turned fierce immediately, his tone harsh. "Do  _not_  raise your voice at me." Then he stood as well.

He wasn't taller than Light, but it felt like his heart stopped on that second and he took a step back despite the burning anger growing. Was he calling  _him_  stupid?

Honda paced away from him. "She was leaving me either way, so I'll let you off with this warning." He turned to point at Light, who couldn't hope to keep his expression and posture under control in front of this man. He was not dealing with a human being, this was a new situation that was becoming increasingly difficult to improvise with. This was an entity who had  _power_  over him. "Should this tragedy repeat once again, I will not be so merciful."

How was he supposed to predict what had happened?! Why did it even mattered? It was of extreme importance that he not be caught! He couldn't let some random woman get him arrested! She… She was just  _one_  person! Light snapped right back. "W-What is one life compared to the good I am doing?!" What kind of person wants those scum to live anyway? What kind of person wanted to stop  _him_  and why?!

This supernatural being who loved all the innocents and despised the criminals didn't see a problem, so why couldn't everyone else understand it too?! Wasn't it obvious that such people didn't deserve to exist? He wasn't doing anything  _wrong,_  anyone trying to stop him was clearly  _evil_  and deserved to die as well!

Honda glared right back, and it suddenly felt like Light's shoulders were getting heavier and heavier by the second. "For the 'Greater Good', what is  _one_  life?" He approached him, but Light refused to back down despite his wildly beating heart. "One life lost, for the salvation of  _all_  others, is that it?" His eyes widened. Honda wasn't taller than him, but suddenly, it was like Light was a small child staring upwards at a giant terrifying parent. "How many more are worth the salvation of all others? One more? Ten more? How about one hundred more for a utopia? Does  _that_  sound fair?" He couldn't  _breathe._  "The 'Greater Good' is nothing but a cheap excuse used by the desperate and weak who can't reach their goal cleanly.  **It's a _disgrace."_**

What was he looking at…? Certainly not human… He was much bigger… The heavens seemed to darken and disappear behind this massive figure as he suddenly felt like he stood in the eye of a storm raging around him.

**"You've killed the man she loved, just as innocent."**

He finally realized he was on his knees. Honda had his arms crossed as he stared down on him. He's… nothing but a child in front of him. He knew what the word Jinushigami meant. But it hadn't quite sunk in. The implications hadn't truly hit him until this display of sheer… divine and righteous authority…

It this a god…?

**"She righteously sought vengeance, and her death by your hand was a violation of my laws and _your_  sin to pay."**

…A god…

…And what does he do…? Where is he, in this rotten world? Where is his supposed love? Why does he let them suffer in such a world…?! Why  _why_   _ **why** ,_ he could only think of that with a resurging rage that was just about to boil over in an anguished shout of despair that could not be relinquished.

However, this god he so desperately wanted to question and demand answers from was on his knees as well, hands around Light's face. "I  _know_  what you're feeling." His voice was no longer like a booming tenor from the heavens. "I know you think I'm letting you all down by letting horrible things happen, and that you think nothing should stand in the way of peace." It was now in front of him as a strange warmth washed over his body, putting the fury at bay. "However, Light-kun… If a god of life such as myself cannot create peace, then neither can you…" It hit like a cold rod straight to his heart. "There's a reason life leaves humans, Light-kun…" It was a soft, understanding voice that made him relax unconsciously, despite feeling like a storm surrounded his mind scattering all thoughts and breaking all reason. The hands were now on his shoulders, the Jinushigami's expression turned somber. "There's  _something_  in you,  _all_  of you… Something that wants to  _destroy_  itself. I don't know why… I don't know what it is, or how it happened, or even how to get rid of it, but I know, for certain, that no matter how good you have, no matter how close to heaven I try to bring you, no matter… how  _hard_  I work to create peace… you… humans… will always find a way to  _abolish it._  Not even one innocent life is worth less than this dream, because it  _cannot be reached."_

Honda backed off from him slowly and continued.

"I know you think that such wonderful peace is just over the horizon, but there is no such thing." Honda shook his head and stood, turning his back to him. "You're no different than other humans. Something inside of you wants to destroy you and you cannot fight that, no matter how much you try. You will leave this world, and things will go back to… to normal."

It shattered, the idea, the hope, the dream he'd so carefully built since he found the Note broke and he could hear it  _breaking_.

Just as he thought… Life is truly…  _dreary._  Hopeless. An endless cycle of bad people hurting good people, over and over. Was he saying… that no matter what Light did, he would  _never_  break this cycle? It would  _never_  be over…?

…Then what's the point…?

"What's the point… then?" Honda wondered, having stopped to stare at the sky, now a clear blue free of clouds. No storm. "You know… If each person did their best to make things just a little bit better for those around them… the world would certainly be better… It would also be better if all Jinushigami could be happy and prosperous without stepping over any others… It would be better if Shinigami didn't exist at all… It would be better if everyone agreed on an objective set of morals… It would be better if humans didn't have that self-destructive flaw… The point is that there are many ways to go about this. Just pick a path and hope for the best."

Having been taking deep breaths, waiting for his mind to organize itself once again, Light glared viciously at the ground. "Hope for the best… What kind of…  _vacuous_  reasoning is that…?" He muttered as he stood, dazed from the whole experience.

Being aware that he was a  _tiny mortal_  under the heel of a god for those brief moments left him exhausted, his mind wandering like a drunkard, unable to form any semblance of order quickly enough. His very _human_ pride left broken in pieces by his feet, his hope for the future torn to shreds in front of him.

"Probably the only that works here. Life is…  _very_  unpredictable. You as an individual won't live forever, so the only thing you can do is pass part of your life forward, and hope that your descendants will keep it going and making the world better in your place, and their children in their place." Honda shrugged. "There's no perfect utopic plan, because nothing goes according to plan in this world. So once your time is up, you can only hope for the best. Hope that you didn't make things  _worse…_  and hope that someone down your line won't destroy the whole world."

Light felt like his legs wouldn't hold him much longer, so while trying to pick up the shattered pieces of his pride – or what was left of it – he ambled over to take a seat, taking deep breaths along the way.

A line, descendants, huh… He almost scoffed.

"I feel like you're a bit repulsed by the idea." It is as if Honda Kiku hadn't just stomped down on Light's world like a titan, smothering everything he'd crafted and built. The Jinushigami sounded much too… normal… casual. He had no energy to feel anything other than lethargic fatigue. "Maybe you never thought of it?"

"No… I haven't." He answered without thinking too much. It was like his neurons were overtaxed and now needed some rest. This never happened before, but Light would simply place the blame on the supernatural forces that a Jinushigami had over him.

"Well…" Honda looked down. "You should. There's no one for me to look after if you don't… Who's going to keep that Death Note once you're gone anyway? Certainly, you wouldn't want to simply let it go back to that dead realm. It's yours after all, no? And it would be tragic to let that high IQ DNA go to waste…"

Light rubbed his face tiredly. Why was he talking about this now…? It was a jarring change of atmosphere he couldn't deal with at that moment. He was in another world just a moment ago, and was now suddenly back, as if nothing had happened.

…It didn't even feel like he was back where he was before he left, though. He was back to a  _different_  place, a dreary place, where he could see nothing beyond the fog. His surroundings were no longer clear before him, and that made him not want to move at all. It almost… reminded him of how he felt  _before_  he found the Note… But somehow even  _worse._

"Huh…?" He heard Honda and peeked from behind his hands. He saw the man looking with narrowed eyes in the direction of the front entrance, eyes close to the sky instead of the ground.

Then he suddenly huffed and picked up the teacups with brusque motions. "You didn't bring that Shinigami, did you?"

"No…" He'd told Ryuk to stay, least the Jinushigami killed him for not doing as he said. He might as well have, though…

Honda walked inside his home, mumbling angry curses, Light heard some noise of clutter, and then the life god came out with a heavy bow and a quiver of arrows. Light looked up and he saw Ryuk flying over them. He seemed to spot Light's tired but still questioning look.

"Just stopping by, to see if you were still alive. You don't look like it." The Shinigami chuckled, then turned to the Jinushigami. "Material objects can't hit me, smart guy."

"These can." He pointed up and shot. Ryuk didn't want to take the risk apparently and dodged with a mildly distressed sound in midair. "Leave my home before you stink it up, you foul creature!"

"I don't feel like it!"

Could a Jinushigami kill a Shinigami? Well… It was an interesting question, so Light preferred to stay out of it and watch. Honda knew how to use a sword, and seemed to know how to use a bow as well, judging by the way he pointed the bow in a different direction and twisted his arrow before letting go. It made long a curve in midair that Ryuk had a harder time dodging, an interesting show of physics and air-resistance mechanics, which he'd studied plenty in school…

"It's difficult to hit a flying target that can see you, life-spawn."

The Jinushigami growled lowly and shot again, missing once again. At least Ryuk seemed to be having fun… Light only ended up yawning, feeling a headache coming, like an afterthought to recent events.

It seemed Honda got tired of being a stationary shooter and ran up the archway at the end of the stairs and finding a way to jump high up in the air, and much to his amazement, the push-back weight didn't break the wood.

This actually made the Shinigami have a small panic attack and barely dodged the arrow. It hit the bark of the dead tree instead and the Jinushigami fell to the ground on his feet with no damage to his knees or calves and shot up again.

This continued like a dog-cat chase, but Light couldn't focus on that, his mind wandering almost aimelessly in its current apathetic state, but instead, he saw the arrow on the tree, narrowing his eyes tiredly as if it would help him see better. It almost looked like the arrow was glowing.

He wanted to approach, but wasn't sure if he should move, with arrows flying around. He felt like Honda knew exactly where he was and therefore wouldn't shoot near his location, so it was safer to remain still.

It wasn't necessary to move, however, because from his seat he could see the glow leaving the arrow slowly, and in front of his very eyes, he could see the bark becoming a brighter shade and could see bright pink flowers sprouting from its branches, leaving in place of the dead oak a very living Sakura tree.

Ah… His tense shoulders fell. Truly a god…

This thought was accompanied by the sound of breaking bark and cracking branches further down the mountain… Light sighed. It seems he would have plenty of time to think about what he was even supposed to do now…

_'…What now…?'_

**Author's Note:**

> I might write more, one day.


End file.
